The international information technology trade fair CeBIT 2015 was opened on Sunday 15th of March at the Hannover fairground in Germany. For many years itelligence had a successful single exhibition stand with great success. This year we decided to cooperate with SAP.

Simple is SAP
Part of the SAP area was a big amphitheater-like stage where SAP put together an agenda of presentations throughout the exposition. The presentations dealt with the most recent and relevant topics that will dominate tthe IT futur. “Discover Simple” was written in big letters right across the entrance. All the latest SAP innovations focus on increasing simplicity for the user.

On the SAP stage Christoph Behrendt vividly explained the three pillow strategies by means of which SAP approaches the digitalization: Platform, Application and Networks. The interactive smart wine rack demonstrated by Behrendt and Ian Kimbell is only one example for the use of new opportunities from which consumers can benefit.

Internet of things
By 2020 about 50 billion connected devices will gather data. So the future will not get simpler. The internet of things, also known as industry 4.0, takes this a step further, still. By equipping the ERP system with intelligent algorithms in combination with this amount of data, robots can for example predict their maintenance issues or truck drivers can be automatically notified where to park and wait their turn for delivery. An often mentioned example is the Hamburg Harbor, which increased its capacity significantly only by optimizing the efficiency through letting the trucks, bridges and ships “communicate” with each other, powered by SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA.

Imagine it and SAP S/4HANA can deliver
“If you can imagine a scenario, SAP S/4HANA will allow you to build it”, stated Ian Kimbell from SAP in many sessions. At CeBIT itelligence announced and demonstrated it.machinery, our new industry solution based on SAP S/4HANA. Itelligence has many years of experience within the automotive and manufacturing industry. With this experience we built a system that is ready to use and to bring businesses ahead of the market.

A digital CEO
The Digital transformation that is undergoing right now needs two factors: a Leader who can think in new ways and a solution that can meet the new demands. One of the most inspiring sessions was led by Dietmar Dahmen, consultant for disruptive change.

“Digital Transformation: The Perma Revolution“

Dahmen makes three observations. First: “The market for the single solution is unstable.” Second: “The market for the basic need is stable.” Third: “The solutions get more simple for the user but more difficult for the supplier at the same time.” One of his examples is the need to listen to music: We still all listen to music, but no longer on a record player, maybe not even purchasing it at iTunes, but rather with the streaming service Spotify. So the industry changed completely but the basic need is still the same. He sums it up by quoting Darwin: “It is neither the strongest of the species nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. “

Summing it up
Facing all the new possibilities that the internet of things offers we need to rethink our business models and to adapt. Right now there is a change of environment where businesses have the chance to reinvent themselves and to leave their competitors behind. SAP can offer the platform and application, itellingence can offer expertise in creating a solution. But inventing a completely new way of handling the business is a challenge and a chance for the CEOs.